Prep Baseball: Hess scores in 7th to give himself and Rebels a win

March 30, 2012|By TIM KOELBLE | koelble@herald-mail.com

HAGERSTOWN — Brandon Hess had the best of both ends, scoring the winning run and picking up the victory with a complete-game pitching effort as South Hagerstown broke out a 6-5 victory over Clear Spring in dramatic fashion Friday at South.

With the game tied 5-5 with two outs in the bottom of the seventh and two runners on, including Hess at second, designated hitter Ryan Barton roped the first pitch from Nick Hill to score Hess and get the Rebels the MVAL Antietam Conference win.

“It was nice to play ball into the sixth inning,” said South coach Zack Swisher. “Barton has been on and off but this was his biggest game.”

In South’s two games earlier this week, the Rebels (2-3, 1-2 MVAL) had not made it past five innings in a pair of run-rule defeats.

But Hess gutted out seven innings, allowing nine hits, walking two and striking out seven.

Clear Spring (1-3, 0-3 MVAL) had knotted the game at 5-all on an unearned run in the top of the seventh with a single by Hill that scored Logan Appel.

“(Hess) showed what guts are all about,” said Clear Spring coach Mark Shives. “I didn’t think he had anything left in the sixth inning, but we didn’t do anything.”

Hill, in relief of starter Hunter Williamson, allowed a one-out single to Hess, who moved only to second on a single by Colby Johnson. Hess stopped at second thinking Swisher had a stop signal on.

After Kenny Mack popped out, Barton stepped in with his game-winner.

“Hess was a gamer,” said Swisher. “He fought through some adversity, but it was a clutch performance.”

Clear Spring had a 1-0 lead until South went up 2-1 in the bottom of the third with the benefit of a four-out inning.

Jordan Dickens reached first base on a third-strike wild pitch and moved to second on a single by Tm Kitchen. Both runners advanced on a sacrifice by Airin Martin and then scored on Sean Przywieczerski’s single.

Clear Spring took a 4-2 lead in the fifth on a hit batsman, single, passed ball, balk and double by Dylan Stouffer.

South answered in the sixth to take a 5-4 lead, thanks to two Clear Spring infield errors, two walks and two singles off Hill.

“You can use all the clichés to describe the game,” said Swisher. “We didn’t give up.”

Przywieczerski, Johnson and Hess each had two of South’s 10 hits.

Williamson went the first five innings for Clear Spring, allowing two runs, walking one and striking out four.

“Forest, he pitched a heck of a game, but we didn’t make routine plays in the field and (Hill) didn’t get the ball across that plate,” said Shives.

Stouffer had three hits and Tyler Walling had two hits for the Blazers.